nd pray, Sir, that when the doctor--' began Mrs. Sturk, and
stopped short, for Mr. Dangerfield frowned quickly, and pointed towards
Miss Mag, who was now, after her wont, looking round the room for matter
of interest.

'And is Pell comin' out to-night?' asked Miss Mag quickly.

'No, truly. Madam,' answered the gentleman: 'Dr. Pell's not comin'--is
he, Mrs. Sturk?'

'Dr. Pell!--oh, la--no, Sir. No, my dear.' And, after a pause, 'Oh, ho.
I wish it was over,' she groaned, with her hand pressed to her side,
looking with a kind of agony on Sturk.

'_What over_?' asked Miss Mag.

Just then a double-knock came to the hall-door, and Mr. Dangerfield
signed sternly to Mrs. Sturk, who first stood up, with her eyes and
mouth wide open, and then sat down, like a woman going to faint.

But the maid came up and told Miss Mag that her mother and Lieutenant
O'Flaherty were waiting on the steps for her; and so, though loath to go
unsatisfied, away she went, with a courtesy to Mr. Dangerfield and a
kiss to Mrs. Sturk, who revived on hearing it was only her fat kindly
neighbour from over the way, instead of Black Doctor Dillon, with his
murderous case of instruments.

The gentleman in the silver spectacles accompanied her to the lobby,
and offered his hand; but she dispensed with his attendance, and jumped
down the stairs with one hand to the wall and the other on the
banisters, nearly a flight at a time; and the cackle of voices rose from
the hall door, which quickly shut, and the fair vision had vanished.

Dangerfield's silver spectacles gleamed phosphorically after her from
under his lurid forehead. It was not a pleasant look, and his mouth was
very grim. In another instant he was in the room again, and glanced at
his watch.

''Tis half-past nine,' he said, in a quiet tone, but with a gleam of
intense fury over his face, 'and that--that--doctor named _nine_.'

Dangerfield waited, and talked a little to Mrs. Sturk and the maid, who
were now making preparations, in short sentences, by fits and starts of
half-a-dozen words at a time. He had commenced his visit ceremoniously,
but now he grew brusque, and took the command: and his tones were prompt
and stern, and the women grew afraid of him.

Ten o'clock came. Dangerfield went down stairs, and looked from the
drawing-room windows. He waxed more and more impatient. Down he went to
the street. He did not care to walk towards the King's House, which lay
on the road to Dublin; he d